2011 Volkswagen CC Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2011 Volkswagen CC has 86 complaints and 4 recalls, giving it a complaint index of 56 and a Caution verdict — ranked 5th worst out of 10 model years. Airbags account for 37% of complaints, followed by engine issues at 34%.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 56/100
- #5 of 10 CC years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 86
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 2
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 2
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 25
- 21 city / 31 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 2 / 0
Top 2011 Volkswagen CC problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags32 (37%)
- Engine29 (34%)
- Fuel System19 (22%)
- Steering13 (15%)
- Electrical System7 (8%)
- Other7 (8%)
- Transmission & Powertrain6 (7%)
- Brakes4 (5%)
- Structure & Body1 (1%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires1 (1%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Airbags fail to deploy in low-speed crashes, sometimes leaving occupants without protection or injuries.
- Steering wheel controls and airbag/ESP functions cut out unexpectedly, tied to a clockspring issue in the steering column.
- Steering wheel suddenly locks up or becomes extremely hard to turn while driving, in one case at highway speed.
- Windshield wipers stop working below 10 mph and only resume once the vehicle speeds back up.
- The accelerator pedal has stuck while driving, requiring the driver to physically pull it back to release it.
- Brakes have failed suddenly, with the pedal sinking near the floor, traced to a vacuum pump failure.
2011 Volkswagen CC recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 18V148000Mar 6, 2018Airbags363,713 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
- NHTSA 17V509000Aug 16, 2017Fuel System280,915 vehicles
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2016 Volkswagen CC, 2006-2010 Passat and Passat Wagon vehicles. Interruption of electrical power to the fuel pump control module may cause the fuel pump to fail.
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump control module, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AE.
- NHTSA 16V078000Feb 10, 2016Airbags659,493 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
2011 Volkswagen CC fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 21 MPG
- Highway
- 31 MPG
- Combined
- 25 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,200
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Premium
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2011 compared with other CC years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Volkswagen CC reliable?
- NHTSA lists 86 complaints and 4 recalls for the 2011 CC, producing a complaint index of 56 and a Caution verdict. It ranks 5th worst among the 10 CC model years covered, meaning several years perform worse and several perform better.
- What is the top problem area for the 2011 Volkswagen CC?
- Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 37% of complaints (32 complaints) and tied to 2 crashes, with a median failure mileage of 44,000.
- Does the 2011 Volkswagen CC have any recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns covering airbags (two separate campaigns), fuel system, and a steering wheel clock spring issue. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2011 CC compare to other CC model years?
- The 2011 CC's complaint index of 56 is better than 2009, 2010, and 2012, which are all rated Avoid with indexes of 78, 100, and 89. But it trails 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, which score lower.
- What mileage do 2011 Volkswagen CC problems typically show up at?
- Across all complaints, the median mileage at failure is 71,075. Engine complaints trend higher, with a median of 90,800 miles, while airbag complaints show up earlier, around 44,000 miles.